African mediators head for Sao Tome

Several African countries on Saturday agreed to send mediators to Sao Tome and Principe to negotiate with coup leaders the possible return of the deposed president.

19 Jul 2003 17:42 GMT

Sao Tome continues to be in control of the coup leaders

Ministers from 11 Central African and Portuguese-speaking countries issued a statement pledging to send a delegation to the tiny West African nation after holding talks in Brazzaville, the capital of Congo Republic.

The delegation will include representatives from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Congo Republic, Gabon, Nigeria and Portugal.

They are to meet coup leaders, who seized power last Wednesday while Sao Tome’s President, Fradique de Menezes was on an official visit to Nigeria.

'

This is not just a military coup, this is a peoples coup, trying to identify the problems facing our society

'

--

Coup leader

Army officers who led the military takeover had earlier expressed willingness to negotiate the possible return of Menezes.